


Lost

by OptimisticJamie



Series: Inquisitor x Love Interests [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Escape, F/M, Injury, Travels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-05 02:35:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4162419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OptimisticJamie/pseuds/OptimisticJamie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seeker Cassandra is bringing the Inquisitor’s party back to Skyhold. She should be there three days after you get this missive.<br/>I have found evidence of the Inquisitor being swept for miles downstream. Reports were correct. She is no longer in Emprise du Lion. I fear she is in hostile territory between cities, and badly injured. </p><p>I have begun my search three miles from Elfsblood River.</p><p>V. Lavellan</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost

Cold. It was so cold. 

How Anea managed to miss-time her jump so spectacularly was completely beyond her. She puts it down to the mad Templar Shadow that was chasing her, separated from the rest of her party she had no choice but to jump, she jumped short. 

She can picture the Red Templars standing at the edge of the cliff laughing at her stupidity. Good work, Anea she thought to herself and she struggled to find a weak point in the ice above her head. Her vision was beginning to fail as her lungs screamed for air, beating against the ice. 

Her and her party, consisting of Cassandra, Dorian and the Iron Bull, had returned to Emprise du Lion to clean up the remaining Red Templars and the odd giant that was still wandering around. That was how they had run into the ambush, and how it lead to her jumping off a cliff into the river, hoping to only break a few bones on the ice, but the season had started to turn, the stronger sun had weakened the ice in places, unfortunately she jumped onto one of those places and plunged into the still frigid waters of Elfsblood River. 

At least it wasn’t the Fallow Mire. Anea would take Templar infested areas over corpsevile anytime. 

That didn’t mean she liked her situation. The strong current of the river had swept her downriver the second her body submerged. She had no idea if she was still in Emprise. 

***

“What do you mean they’ve lost her!” Leliana yelled furiously at the messenger, holding the letter that had reached Skyhold that day. 

“Lady Cassandra was very adamant on leaving out many details in her report. She says that the Inquisitor took a great risk, a foolish risk, to escape capture and they’ve lost her down Elfsblood River.” The messenger explained calmly.

“What’s all the noise for?” Josephine spoke as she and Cullen approached Leliana, previously summoned by the messenger at Leliana’s request.

Leliana repeated the news and watched as shock and fear fell over her fellow advisor’s faces. 

“Have they tried to find her?” Cullen demanded, unsure of who to yell at. His gaze flicked between Leliana and the messenger. 

“Cassandra has mentioned a search party, but the rogue Red Templars make that extremely difficult.” Leliana paused as she read more of the letter. “It is possible she isn’t even in Emprise du Lion anymore.” 

“What!?” Cullen and Josephine exclaimed at once. 

“Where could she be then?” Josephine demanded.

Leliana shook her head and shrugged, mouth agape. 

All advisors jumped at the sudden arrival of another person. Cole. He had appeared crouching on Leliana’s desk, head bowed, hat covering his eyes. “Pain. Hurt. Must keep going. Mustn’t fall asleep. Sleep means death. Cannot die.” He spoke quietly, but his words didn’t go unheard.

“Who is that?” Cullen asked, edging closer to the spirit.

“Where am I? Cold. Wet. Bruised. Broken.” Cole responded. He lifted his head up. “She is hurt, she is fighting, trying to get home. Home to you.” He looked Cullen in the eye before climbing off the desk and walking away. 

“Hang on!” Cullen bellowed, drawing the attention of the scouts in the room. He moved to go after Cole but Leliana grabbed him firmly by the arm.

“She’s alive, Commander.” 

“So we need to send out a search party!” 

“We do not know where she is! The party would walk right passed her and not even see her. She has hidden herself from her own party when hurt, you know that. She could be deploying this tactic again. If she is we’ll never find her.” Leliana explained, remembering the time she had come back worse for wear from a fight with an outlaw thug in the Hinterlands, broken bones, bloodied skin. She had hidden herself from Cassandra, Dorian and Sera with such skill Leliana had to send Anea’s brother Vol to find her. It took him two weeks and three days to find her, by then she had taken care of herself well enough but needed medical attention. 

Cullen snarled, “So send Vol out to find her.” 

“Vol Lavellan was sent to the Hissing Wastes to gather information. He’s not due back for another five weeks.” Leliana explained. 

Cullen ripped his arm from Leliana’s grip. He returned to his office and began writing.

***  
_I have received news from the Commander that my sister’s whereabouts and condition is unknown, possibly even unto herself.  
I know my position is currently deployed to the Hissing Wastes, but I must accept the Commander’s offer and track down my sister. She could be severely hurt, and her party is never going to find her._

_Conditions in the Hissing Wastes are stable, the Venetori have felt the blow from the Inquisition and are struggling to find another foothold._

_I will report on my findings from Emprise du Lion in due time._

_-V. Lavellan_

Leliana sighed and shook her head. She picked up her quill and wrote a letter to the Commander.  
_  
I told you, Vol was deployed to the Hissing Wastes. He was there for a reason. To gather information of vital importance to the Inquisition._

_The next time I hear of you moving my men around without my prior permission will be the time you find yourself without food._

_L.  
_

***

This was not the best place to hole up and recover but Anea didn’t have the luxury of choosing. She had escaped the river; blacking out momentarily had caused her body to go limp, carried by the current for a few more miles. When she came too she inhaled too much water. In her panic she reached to beat the ice to find none above her fingers. 

Head breaching the surface she coughed and hacked and swallowed massive gulps of air, her lungs no longer stinging for the sweet taste. Too weak to swim she lazily treaded water till the current brought her closer to the shore, where she pulled herself up, lay down and promptly slept. She did not know how long she slept, but when she awoke the sun had set. 

A foolish thing to do, yes, but she almost died. She had left the life leaving her body. She deserved the nap. When awake she noticed the snow was thin enough for grass to push through. It was still cold, but she could begin to find her way to a camp of some sort. Her calf sent bullets of pain up her leg each time she put pressure on it, her left side was bruised and her back was riddled with scrapes from rocks. Her scouting coat was in shreds. Nothing but a thin layer of saturated clothing separated her skin from the air.  
She had found a large, hollowed out tree that looked dry and warm. That was where she had been for the last three days, but now she had to move. She knew it. If she stayed any longer something was going to find her and she was going to die, either from an animal, an enemy or from the illness she felt creeping up her throat. 

Her leg was still shooting pain into her hip; she made a makeshift crutch out of a fallen branch. Found her bearings and started to walk towards the east.

 

***

_Seeker Cassandra is bringing the Inquisitor’s party back to Skyhold. She should be there three days after you get this missive.  
I have found evidence of the Inquisitor being swept for miles downstream. Reports were correct. She is no longer in Emprise du Lion. I fear she is in hostile territory between cities, and badly injured. _

_I have begun my search three miles from Elfsblood River._

_V. Lavellan_

_The Inquisitor is alive. Weaponless but alive. I have found signs of camping in an old tree till her minor injuries improved. She set off two days before I arrived._

_V. Lavellan_

_The Inquisitor is on the trail to Skyhold. If she continues at the same pace she is moving, she will be there before nightfall. Inform the healers that she is in dire condition and is in need of help._

_V. Lavellan_

***

Anea almost laughed when she lifted her head and glimpsed Skyhold’s flags behind the mountain. She was filthy, covered in dirt that darkened her skin and covered her scars. She had encountered a few wolves on her trek back home and had come out of the fight worse than the canine. A sharp stick she had found was what she used as a knife, killing one of the dogs she was able to escape the rest of the pack, but not before having her back pierced by the creatures fangs.

Blood loss. That’s what she thought was going to kill her. She huffed. What a boring death for the Inquisitor. Attacked by a dog.

The sight of Skyhold was enough to make her cry. The closer she got the more the feeling grew. She limped slowly down the bridge to the drawbridge and lifted her head.

“Cullen!” She called, surprised that her voice still worked. Starving, injured, delirious, and practically begging for sleep but she made it. She fell to her knees as she watched the gate rise, her shin protesting with such pain she cried out. 

She saw people running around, as soon as the gate was high enough to allow people to duck under it six of them did. She recognised Cassandra, Dorian and Vivienne were running, no doubt to get her to the infirmary. Cole was standing beside the archway, Leliana beside him, but the person who reached her first was Cullen. He dropped to his knees, the metal of his armour screaming as it grated against the stone. 

Anea tried for a smile but was certain it was more of a grimace. She fell forward into his arms, barely able to keep herself upright. She felt him shake with sobs and turned to look at him, opening her mouth “I fought a dog.” 

That wasn’t what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him she loved him, where did the dog come from? It didn’t matter. She passed out promptly afterwards.

 

***

When she woke she saw the tent she was in was empty, a few candles flickering on the table beside her cot. She groaned, smacking her lips trying to wet her parched mouth. Suddenly the tent flap flew open and she almost jumped out of her skin. 

It was Cullen. He had removed his armour, the metal still in his arms, but when he saw that his suspicion was correct he dumped it in a chair and came to her side, crushing her in a kiss. 

“Ow!” She protested when her body complained. He released her and apologised. 

“What did the healers do?” She asked.

Cullen pulled up a chair and sat beside her, taking her hand. “They were able to fix your ribs and fingers and heal your wounds. Your leg proved a problem though. While you were walking on it you worsened the fracture. They healed it but you’ll have a permanent limp.” 

Anea looked down at her leg as if glaring at it would fix it.  
“They say it shouldn’t interfere with your movements though.” Cullen added after.

Anea fell back on the pillow and sighed heavily. “I’m tired.” She said.

“You’ve been asleep for a day.” 

“Hmmm.” She closed her eyes. 

The tent flap opened again and she heard her brother enter. “Commander. I returned just after the Inquisitor did. I apologise for not reporting to you sooner, Sister Leliana wanted my report of the Hissing Wastes.”

Cullen waved his hand in dismissal. Anea felt Vol sit on the other side of her and she moved her head to look at him, opening one eye and smiling. 

“You’re a real pain to track down, Stalker.” Vol remarked.

“That’s the point. I certainly don’t want to be found as easily as you can.” She responded, her voice starting to drawl from exhaustion.

“Sleep, Anea. You’re safe.”

Anea mumbled a thank you before succumbing to sleep, hand still holding Cullen’s. He was there when she woke.

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by several works I've read where the Inquisitor goes missing only to turn up found by their party, or back at Skyhold. So I did my own


End file.
